Second 2012 adventure ride: Vince’s “Not dead yet” ride part 2

The departure for the ride was getting closer.  How will I make this ride since there is no official ride guide but rather a “hostile” chart (see part 1.)

Paper strip enigma

[Roll chart holder] My parking neighbor, John, with whom I had a chat earlier, quickly resolved the enigma of the paper strip plan.

The “Roll chart holder”.  Haaaaa, what a great idea!…the paper strip plan is inserted into this gadget and unrolled as the ride goes.  Most likely, I was unprepared for this kind of ride.

On the left picture you can see the “Roll chart holder” on Hans’ motorcycle.  I’ll speak about Hans later.

Time to go.  4 by 4, motorcyclists aligned at the starting line.  I asked John if it would be OK if I followed him since I didn’t have the roller.  “Of course, you are welcome!” he said.  Very nice guy!  Finally my problem was solved - I could follow and enjoy the ride.  Even better, John’s intention was to avoid “Hero” sections which were intended for smaller dual sport bikes better suited for mud & rocky sections.

 

Departure

So John, 2 other riders and I aligned at the starting line (KTM erzberg edition, Versys, DR-Z400 and a KLR.)    Then go!

For a while, everything went well.  After 10 minutes, John changed directions and stopped for some adjustments.  So I continued to follow the group and I lost John from sight.  The DR-Z400 driver became the new guide. 

For a good moment the ride was pretty cozy.  Many nice paved and unpaved sections, sometimes in the woods ( I really felt at home on many occasions)…nothing to be afraid of - even a road bike could have done this.  The DR-Z400 driver (the guide) was riding at a slow pace and at a certain point the ride was even a little boring.

First pit stop

A couple of pictures from this first pause.  I chatted for the first time with Hans (DR-Z400) there (as I don’t remember his real name, I had to re-baptize him for the purpose of this post - Hans had a European accent, I would say German.)

So, Hans is the DR-Z400 owner.  His bike was so customized (was maybe a DR650) that only the engine and the frame were original.  Even the gas tank was replaced to gain nearly a gallon.  When I asked him about his ride plan, Hans told me that he had no intention of riding in the Hero sections…so I could follow him in peace.

What type of motorcyclist are you?

While I was riding, on many occasions I told to myself “Ah! that…that would be a good picture”.  What’s more, I had to follow Hans – and the plan – so I could not start exploring all the paths that seemed interesting like I usually do in my occasional adventure rides.  I have to admit, I am a solo adventurer: I like to take shots and follow providential paths on my way, or even just stop when nature calls.  Freedom!

Hey!  That was a hero section!?

The cozy ride suddenly wasn’t that easy anymore.  I saw it coming: rocky section on a upwards slope.  Mud and big holes and much less GS in the picture, but rather dual sport and Adventure bikes (there were motorcycles just about everywhere.)  I was following Hans who seemed a quiet rider at first.  He suddenly showed his other side:  he was literally flying over the obstacles and I struggled to follow on my Versys.  A KTM Adventure bike sped by me to the left and also seemed to fly over obstacles.  When I noticed that I was followed by a group of smaller dual sport bikes, I just stepped aside to let them pass.

I was not that bad a rider in those conditions but I needed to ride at a slower pace - much appreciated by my Versys…which I had taken to very similar places in the past, but with caution.

At the end of the section I told Hans: “Hey! Was that a Hero section?”, and he replied: “Oh, I`m just following the plan.”.  Hehe, that really spiced up the ride.

12 o’clock

After 3 hours of riding and some more hero sections, the fatigue of this already long day started to show.  And the apprehension of the remaining 300 miles to go back home was increasing.

As I rode out of the last hero section (it was particularly intense, I bottomed my suspension a couple of times), I went to see Hans and  thanked him for guiding me through this ride, but the time had come to say goodbye – I still had a long way to go.  Handshake and adios!

 

[monkey butt]  The ride home went without any issues.  Unfortunately, I felt like I had received a thousand kicks in the butt.  It is in those moments that you wish for a more comfortable seat...  I’ll need to evaluate some of the aftermarket ones.  I saw a Seat Concept solution which received good feedback on kawasakiversys.com.  So I took the plunge - I will let you know if it was worth it once installed.

 

Next rides…

Once I got home and saw how far I had gone for a day ride on Google map, I realized that Parent and the Laurentides Park were not that far after all and I would probably get lost in those area this summer…

***

I took some time later to search for a Roll chart holder and found this one on Amazon.

I also found a web site dedicated to Roll chart holders: http://www.rollcharts.org/rollchartdef.html and a software that may be useful to create charts: http://www.enduro.4t.com/rollcht.htm

If you are taking part in an organized adventure ride, don’t do the same mistake as I did: be informed about which kind of ride you’ll be participating in and see if you need that type of gadget.

***

ciao!

dsaventurequebec

Related Post:

1. Ride to Parent

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Second 2012 adventure ride: Vince’s “Not dead yet” ride

May 20, 2012,  2 o’clock in the morning, I’m wide awake.  To go or not to go?  That is the question.

Retrospective:  In January, I received a tweet to participate in Vince’s “Not dead yet” ride in Massachusetts.  300 miles to go and 300 other miles to come back, plus 120 miles of adventure riding.  Nonsense, I will forget that.  (See the map below indicating the ride’s meeting point.)

View Larger Map

One week before the date I sent an email to the ride staff to see if there were still some available spots - almost hoping the answer would be no:  I had mixed emotions between the thrill of the experience and the nonsense of going that far for a day ride.  The staff email answer: “Always, there is never a max!”

So…unable to sleep…let’s go!

At 3:15 am, I’m on my way to Otis, Massachusetts.

I87 South, Adirondack

A few hours later, there I was on the I87 South.  I quickly noticed that heading south did not necessarily mean increasing temperature.  When I left home I was comfortably riding with a jacket, boots, gloves and a pair of Jeans.  But in the Adirondacks mountain area, it was much cooler!  My visor went foggy and I had to set my heated grips at ‘hi’.  That ride is most likely similar to crossing the Laurentides Park in Quebec early in the morning.  For those that do not support heat and traffic, it’s perfect.

Otis, Massachusetts

[Some of the bikes there]  Since I cruised at a fast pace, I was able to reach my destination 40 minutes before the planned departure at 9am.

First thing I told to myself arriving there: if Harley is the king of the cruiser market, KTM and BMW share the honor in the adventure bike world…at least, that was my impression.  There were lots of 1200GS, F800GS and F650GS, and many Adventure and other KTM models.  I saw some KLR, one V-Strom and 2 Versys!  Hey!, I was not the only mad person riding a V for this dual sport adventure day!  After asking the question on kawasakiversys.com the next day at home, I found out that the driver of the second versys was a friend of the owner of the Versys who was riding a 1200gs with a side car!  Small world.

Then I registered, paid, and took my stuff: a sticker to put on the windscreen and the road plan printed on a 8.5 per 11 sheet.  I took a look at the plan and I quickly realized that it was gibberish to a neophyte like me.  Hmm, how will I make this ride?  I also noticed that many people where cutting the plan instructions to make a long paper strip with adhesive tape.  Why?  Should I do the same?

8h45 – Meeting at the registration desk

[Vince Lee]  Here is the ride organizer, Vince Lee.  Vince has been fighting a cancer for many years and other complications have added to his disease.  However he is in good spirits, he seems in pretty good shape and still healthy enough to organize this ride where all profits are for charity.

After Vince addressed the crowd,  I felt the emotion when everybody warmly applauded him for his courage.  Thoughts and prayers for you Vince! 

Now that I think about it… helping a good cause was probably my biggest motivator for this crazy ride.

Note: Vince is an active member on AdvRider.com

To be continued…part 2

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First 2012 adventure ride: part 5

After escaping the muddy trap (see part 4), I had to stop for a moment to rest and eat something.  I did some more exploration in the area after the caffeine break.

Then I headed towards Labelle.

Labelle

[Labelle Lake]  I took this shot when I arrived at Labelle Lake.

[The right colors!] After taking the shot of the lake, here’s what I saw.  Wow!  I could not have found a better background for my grey Versys.

The same original shot with various color filters and temperature:

 

Mont Tremblant

[Dune Buggy] Once out of Labelle, I took the 117 South to Mont Tremblant

At around 16h30, I arrived in Mont Tremblant and I stopped at a snack bar to eat my favorite meal when I go out for a ride - a poutine!

While waiting for my meal, I saw this particular cruiser arriving in the parking lot.

I spoke with the owner (great guy!) for a while and he confirmed that Mont Tremblant park was really nice and it was worth the detour.

However, that will be for another day...  I still have another 2 hours until I get home.

 

 

Conclusion

That was quite a ride!  I think I got some nice pictures, I felt one with nature in a peaceful decor and even tougher moments are good souvenirs…at least it allowed me to test my limits and those of my bike.

What a great way adventure motorcycling is to disconnect with everyday civilization burden!

Next article: Mont Tremblant? or may be a surprise.

ciao

dsaventurequebec

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First 2012 adventure ride: part 4

Overdose

Adventure riding is quite satisfying when everything rolls, but when it gets bad…

[Hells way] This path, which looks somewhat easy, got my attention before arriving to the little creek (see part 3).  As I had to turn around, I decided to take a peak at it when I passed back in front.

Sooooo bad idea.

 

[#$&* MUD!] Oh well, not that bad, I thought – slope is going down.  I can do it!

Effectively, up to then everything went relatively well…

 

[Lake Doré] Hey! Really…it was a good idea to follow this trail.  A sign indicating Lake Doré (the lake was on the left side) - I am probably closer to civilization than I thought.

 

Unexpected workout

[Strike 1]  Crap!, I’m in deep sh..trouble.  What seemed to be an easy trail suddenly transformed into a painful process!  Mud all around the place.  I tried to avoid it by riding on the side, but that made it even worse.     

Going down a muddy trail is not too hard, gravity helps.  But going upward is another story.  With a heavy bike – if you are hesitant on gas, something like this is bound to happen…

The last thing I expected on this sunny day was a bonus workout.  Push forward…pull back…push forward…all I achieved doing this was to sink further.

How the heck I will get out of that?  Finally, the solution was to spin the bike again (see part 3).  I put a big rock under the kickstand…but it was not enough, this rock was sinking under the pressure.  I had to pile another one over.  Then I was able to spin the bike enough to go into the opposite direction – downwards.

So turning back again…but it was not over yet, I still had to go up against the other slope.  Unfortunately, my fears were founded.

[Strike 2] Yet again.  I swear…if I get out of this darn hole…I’ll go back home and SELL THIS #$#%# BIKE RIGHT NOW!

I really need a lighter bike.

The bike was so deeply stuck that it stood on its own.  Unable to spin this time, the kickstand was out of reach and there was a big rock that blocked the front wheel.

The fatigue started to take over and I was out of resources.

[Light at the end of the tunnel]  Of course not! I’m not dead yet.

I got out of trouble by laying the bike on its side and putting 2 logs under the rear wheel so it wouldn’t go back into the hole when I lifted the bike back up.

Fortunately, the front wheel placed itself on the big rock on the side (and not back into the hole), which allowed me to get the bike out of this hole and continue my journey.

Phew!  That was a close one!

 

I learned my lesson – without the right bike and the right tires, mud is a no go.  There’s no way I’m going back there with my bike…

…well, unless I install a K60 on the back wheel too…

be right back

To be continued…part 5

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First 2012 adventure ride: part 3

Plan B: Sioui path

After turning around at the Chenail du Moine path (see part 2), I took the Sioui path that also leads to Labelle, but the road is longer.

[Fire roads]  Beaches Lake (Lac des Plages) is an area where logging is still active.  The happy consequence for adventure motorcycle amateurs is a maze of trails of different difficulty levels (0, 1, 2 and sometimes even more difficult).

The first time I ventured in that area, I followed the indications I found on the Internet to the letter  – I was quite afraid to get lost, run out of gas and get stuck in the woods.

But after a couple of rides in the area, I developed a good sense of orientation, previous fears disappeared and  now the need to explore new trails prevails.

All this just to say that I could not resist following this unknown fire road on the left picture.

 

[Quiet place]  I had to stop after a few miles.  The road was separated by a small stream a bit too risky to cross with the bike due to the deepness of the river bed.

This video on the right shows the peacefulness of this place.

I went for a walk on the other side of the stream and there were many other interesting trails to explore…but that will be for another ride. 

[Before the storm]  While cruising in this little paradise, I took some more shots of nature.

The path was easy to follow until I got to the next fork in the road…

 

To be continued…part 4

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First 2012 adventure ride: part 2

Chenail du Moine path, Beaches Lake (Lac des Plages)

[Chenail du Moine path] After riding the rest of Scotch road (see part 1)… the Huntington path… the Maskinongé path, here I am at Beaches Lake.  Up to now the ride is under control.  Everything is going as planned and I should be in Mont Tremblant shortly…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Unknown trail]  …so darn wrong.  Whut?!  How did a rocky trail get here?  I don’t recall that path when I came here last year (see Beaches Lake Ride  ).  Yup, that’s me too anxious to leave, missed some map “details” and ended up God knows where.

(Back home I noted that I should have followed the “Lac à la Carpe” path instead of “Chenail du Moine”).

Might as well go see what's at the end of this trail…

 

[Dead end]  After a too rocky start to my taste, the trail conditions improved, until I reached this flooded section. 

There is no way I can get throught this: the trail is made of soil and if I attempt to cross it, I will get into trouble.

 

[Turn around]  It is not always easy to U turn with a 450 pounder.  A good trick is to spin the bike on the kickstand.

I uploaded a video on Youtube last year to show how to get out of trouble in a closed area as seen on the picture.  I included the video below. 

If you ever need to do this in the woods, just put a big rock or a piece of wood under the kickstand.

A little trick that saved my ass more than once!

 

Spinning on the kickstand

 

To be continued…part 3

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First 2012 adventure ride: part 1

Saturday, May 5 2012.  Finally the stars were aligned for a first ride... 

…well after overlooking all other overdue home improvement projects.

When I woke up that morning at 6 am, I told my better half not to expect me before 5 pm and not to call the police before 9.

After a quick breakfast I scribbled a few lines on a piece of paper to plan my adventure ride.  My main goal was exploring Mont Tremblant Park, but by the trails from the Beaches Lake area (instead of the highway) to get there. So basically:

1. Departure from St-Eustache
2. Scotch road, Grenville (a must)
3. Huntington road 
4. Maskinongé road 
5. Tour du Lac road, Beaches Lake (Lac des Plages)
6. Chenail du Moine road 
7. (gray zone, do some exploration)
8. Somewhere in Labelle area 
9. 117 south down to Mont Tremblant
10. Mont Tremblant Park exploration
11. Go back home

That should keep me busy all day.

Scotch Road

[Sand pit] Going to Scotch Road is never a problem. It is once you reach the sand pit that troubles begin.  Ever since my visit last year when I took this video: http://youtu.be/MmLqQaVldbQ, there remains an irresistible attraction between my bike and this dune.

 

 

[On top of the sand pit] On the right, this picture was taken from the top of the sand pit.  You can see the bottom of the sand pit where the bike was in the previous picture, on the other side of the pond.

Getting there was not as easy as I had expected…I still wonder how I made it without crashing.

I lost my balance at least 3 times and each time I was sure I was going to bite the dust. 

I was most likely going too slow and Shinko’s 705 DS is probably not the ideal tire in that situation: the rear wheel was oscillating from left to right to left and was spinning a lot (in the top picture, you can actually see this pattern in the sand just above the helmet, slightly to the left).

To be continued…part 2

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